ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A St. Lucie County judge is expected to sentence Otto Lenke on Tuesday, deciding whether the former first responder will receive the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole for the 2021 murder of Fort Pierce motorcycle shop owner Richard Benson.
Judge to sentence Otto Lenke in 2021 Fort Pierce murder case. CBS12’s Paige Meyer reports.
Earlier this year, a jury found Lenke guilty of first-degree murder and first-degree arson. During the penalty phase, jurors voted 11-1 to recommend a death sentence after hearing several days of testimony from both prosecutors and the defense.
Otto Lenke, in blue shirt, entering courtroom Thursday in Ft. Pierce. (WPEC)
Prosecutors argued the murder was especially brutal, telling jurors Lenke shot Benson inside his motorcycle shop before pouring alcohol on him and setting him on fire while he was still alive.
Jurors were shown graphic surveillance video of a Fort Pierce shop owner being shot and set on fire as closing arguments begin in Otto Lenke’s murder trial. (WPEC)
The defense asked jurors to consider Lenke’s mental health history, cognitive impairments and traumatic childhood, arguing those factors warranted a sentence of life in prison without parole instead of death.
While the jury has recommended the death penalty, the final sentencing decision rests with the judge. Lenke’s sentencing will start up at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon at the St. Lucie County Courthouse. CBS12 News will be following the developments in the case.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.